Roof repair in Jupiter, FL

Florida's code caps patching at 25 percent of a roof or roof section in any 12-month period. Cross that line and the code requires the entire roof or section to be replaced or recovered, unless the roof already meets the 2007 Florida Building Code or later. In that case only the repaired part must meet current code.

The median Jupiter home was built in 1989. A roof falls under the exception to the 25% cap only if that roof was built, repaired or replaced in compliance with the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, which took effect March 1, 2009. A roof replaced after 2007 may not.

Whether a repair needs a permit is the call of the Town of Jupiter Building office. Florida's code allows ordinary minor repairs without one only with the building official's approval, so ask that office before you assume a small repair is exempt.

• Stay off the roof. Check from the ground or from a window.
• Look inside at ceilings and the attic for stains, wet insulation and daylight.
• Photograph missing, cracked or curling tabs, bare asphalt and exposed felt.
• Cover openings only from the ground or a safe attic position, and do not climb a wet roof.

Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and most activity falls between mid-August and mid-October. Many Jupiter units sit empty part of the year: 13.8 percent of housing units are held for seasonal or occasional use. A leak in an unoccupied home can run for weeks, so arrange a neighbor or manager to check after every named storm.

What your policy pays is a question for your insurer or agent. Florida law bars roofing contractors from advising on coverage, and a new or reopened claim must reach the insurer within 1 year of the loss.